boeing 777x will have futuristic foldable wings in order to fit into gates

boeing has received approval from the federal aviation administration for its 777x plane with foldable wings. the aircraft will feature a wingspan of 235 feet with foldable tips reducing them to a 212 feet, allowing it to park at normal airport gates.

The FAA’s official approval came on may 18 when boeing received a document in the federal register outlining the conditions of the innovative new design. the firm must devise multiple automatic warning systems notifying pilots if they’re wings are still folded when taking off and landing.

the 777X has wings that are made out of carbon-fiber composites, making them lighter, stronger and more fuel-efficient. the company will also need to prove that the wingtips can withstand 75mph winds. And cannot be accidentally unlocked during flight. ‘we think about the redundancy of the actual fold mechanism—the locking pins, the latches. we have a primary and secondary latch system’ , boeing engineer terry beezhold says. ‘we have multiple layers of redundancy, and layers of protection, to ensure that the folding wingtip always remains extended in flight, and only folds when it’s commanded [when the plane is on the ground].’